If you spend a lot of time underwater, you quickly come to appreciate the thought that has gone into the design of a watch like the Sinn U1 Divers. As one of my favorite dive watches, the U1 gets a ton of wrist time when the weather gets hot - it's also a watch that accompanies me on a wide variety of underwater adventures.
Sinn manufactures some of the most robust and task-ideal tool watches in the world. The U1 incorporates all of Sinn's cutting edge innovations - from its tegimented case that is hardened to 1,500 Vickers (and much more resistant to scratches than a normal stainless steel case) to its sapphire crystal that incorporates progressive reflective technology for perfect legibility in all light conditions. Equally important to most serious divers, the U1 shuns the superfluous in favor of a clean and clear presentation of the information expected of a watch that has a critical function in survival. A quick glance at the Sinn U1 Divers reveals both the current time and the elapsed bottom time (courtesy of a non-losable uni-directional bezel that's lined up with the minute hand just before submerging).
The Sinn U1 is 44mm in diameter and just over 14mm thick. The screw-down waterproof crown is offset to the 4 o'clock position on the right side of the case - an arrangement that adds significantly to the comfort factor and eliminates the crown fatigue that can undermine a waterproof watch that sees a lot of vigorous activity.
The hands of the U1 are luminous and glow brightly when lighting conditions are poor. Each hand is red as it emerges from the center arbor and then white (luminous) as it extends toward the minute track - a design that dramatically increases your ability to instinctively distinguish between the hours, minutes and seconds hands in all light conditions.
Inside the U1 is an ETA Caliber 2824-2 automatic movement. With 25 jewels and an amplitude of 28,800 vph, it's a stable and reliable performer.
After securing the movement in the case and making the final adjustments, the watchmakers at Sinn subject the watch to a testing protocol developed in conjunction with Hamburg's Germanischer Lloyd that results in certification according to European dive equipment standards. It confirms the temperature stability and function of the watch under extreme temperature conditions - a serious consideration as dive watches are routinely subjected to instant 50 degree temperature swings. Lloyd also certifies the U1 for water-resistance and pressure-proofing (100 bar).
The Sinn U1 Divers is furnished with a silicon strap that has a deployant clasp equipped with a wetsuit extension. The MSRP is $1850 USD - an incredible value for the diver who value vault-like construction and user friendly tool-like design.
You are just brilliant, do you know this?
Posted by: Jordan Jumpman | August 27, 2010 at 05:20 AM